Nipple applying implement



. 4 M.- H. SIDEBOTHAM 2,408,693

NIPPLE APPLYING IMPLEMENT Filed Sept. 16, 1943 Patented Oct. 1, 1946 UNITED STATE NIPPLE APPLYING'IMPLENIENT Melvin H. Sidebotham, Newton." Mass., assignor of one-half to Harlow M. Russell,

Mass.

Application September 1 Chelsea,

6, 1943, Serial No. 562,575

2 Claims. (01. 81 5.1)

1 My invention relates to an implement for use in homes and hospitals forvapplying expansible, rubber nipples to nursing bottles.

.There has long been a needfor a simple, sanitary deviceto aid in applying rubber nipples to nursing'bottles. The method in universal use for applying such nipples to nursing bottles has been to grasp the nipple with the fingers and stretch and draw the nipple over the mouth and neckrof the nursing bottle. It will be obvious that this operation is'very unsanitary because it renders the nippleliable to contamination from the hands of the person applying the nipple. This method of applying rubber nipples to bottles is difficult when the nipple is new and consequently requires considerable strength to stretch the nipple sufliciently to affix tothe bottle. In hospitals it is not unusual to have large numbers of nursing bottlesto be capped several times a day. The number of bottles to which a nurse may apply nipples in a short space of time, is limited because of the strength required to stretch the nipples.

One object of the present invention is to provide an implement on which a nipple may be placed and the bottom or base portion of the nipple stretched sufiiciently to enable the nipple to easily pass over the mouth and neck of the bottle. The implement is then pressed downward out of engagement with the nipple and moved upward out of contact with the bottle and nipple.

Another object of my invention consists in a sanitary method for applying nipples to nursing bottles. This method consists in first frictionally holding a nipple on a nipple applying implement, then immersing the nipple in hot water or any desired sterilizing solution, and thereafter applying the nipple to a nursing bottle without human hands coming in contact with the nipple after the nipple is sterilized.

With said objects in view, and others that will be apparent from the following disclosure, my invention consists in the implement, and the method of sterilizing and applying nipples to nursing bottles as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawing: 7

Fig. 1 is a top view of the improved nipple applying implement.

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the implement shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a section at 4-4 of Figure 1.

Fig. 5 is a side view, drawn to a small scale, of the nipple applying implement with a nipple pm Hi secured to the in place ready to be stretched and applied to a nursing bottle. I

- Fig. 6 is the same as Fig. 5' except that the implement has been actuated to stretch the nipple preparatory to applying the nipple to the mouth of a bottle.

I Fig. '7 is an elevation of a typical nursing bot tleto which rubber nipples are applied. I

Fig. 8 is an elevation of a nursing bottle with the rubber nipple in place. V I

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts or features in all of the views.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the implement comprises abase ring I of any suitable material such as metal or plastic. The said base ring-l has an annularrecess 2 in which is slidably and rotatably positioned an operating ring 3. A handle 4 is secured, by means of rivets 4a, to the base ring I, and a corresponding handle 5 is secured by means of rivets 5a to the operating ring 3. V A plurality of expansion arms 6 are pivotally secured to the base ring l by pivot pins 1 spaced equidistant around the inner diameter of the said base ring I. A gripping prong 8 extends upward at right angles from the inner extremity of each expansion arm 6. The outer end of each expansion arm 6 is provided with a slotted recess 9 which slidably engages an operating operating ring 3.

In the operation of my improved implement, when the two handles 4 and 5 (Fig. 1) are moved to approach each other, the operating ring 3 will move in a counter-clockwise direction, and the base ring will move in a clockwise direction. The movement of the base ring and the operating ring will cause each expansion arm 6 to pivot on its corresponding pin 1 by the movement of pin N which in turn moves the outer end of the expansion arm 6. It will be obvious that with the counter-clockwise movement of the outer end of each expansion arm 6 about the corresponding pivot pin 1, the inner portion of the said expansion lever will also move in a counter-clockwise direction. Thus the prongs 8 on the inner extremity of each expansion arm will operate outwardly to expand a rubber nipple placed with said prongs within the opening at the base of the nipple.

In the method for using my improved nipple applying implement, a rubber nipple llv (Fig. 5) is placed upon theimplement with all the prongs 8 of the implement within the opening at the base of the said nipple. The nurse then takes both handles 4 and 5 of the implement in one hand and draws the handles toward each other slightly. Thus the prongs positioned in the nipple move outwardly to frictionally hold the nipple in place on the implement. While the nipple is thus firmly held on the implement, the nipple and the area of the implement about the nipple are submerged in hot water or any other suitable solution to sterilize the nipple and a portion of the implement. The implement with the nipple in' lace thereon is removed from the sterilizing solution. The handles of the implement are then brought closer together in order to cause the expansion arms to act to stretch the, base of the nipple. ment are next positioned with the nursing bottle, to which the nipple is to be applied, projecting through the inner opening in the implement and into the base of the stretched rubber nipple. The handles of the implement are then released to permit the handles to move away from each other with the result that the rubber nipple grips the mouth of the nursing bottle I 2 (Fig. '7). The prongs 8 of the implement are at this point gripped between the inner diameter o t e u ber pple and the outer diameter of the mouth of the bottle. The implement is then pressed downward to draw the prongs '8 of the implement out of engagement with the nipple and bottle. The implement is then brought upward out of engagement with the nipple and bottle to complete the operation of applying the nipple to the bottle.

It is common practice in hospitals to use expansible caps to cover nursing bottles after the bottles have been filled and before the nipples are applied to the bottles. My improved implement and method are also intended for use in applying such expansible caps to nursing bottles. Therefore, nipples in the appended claims is intended to include any type of expansible closure.

My invention is not limited to the embodiment herein shown and described, its scope being set forth in the appended claims.

The nipple and the imple-,

Having now described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An implement for applying expansible nipple to nursing bottles, comprising a base ring having an annular recess, an annular operating ring rotatably positioned in said annular recess, a handle secured to and extending radially outward frornthe base ring, a second handle secured to and extending radially outward from the operating ring and lying in close proximity to the handle on the base ring, a plurality of expansion arms spaced equidistant about the base ring, pivot pins fixed in the base ring intermediate the ends of the expansion arms for pivotally supporting each expansion arm, a prong at the inner extremity of each expansion arm extending upward at right angles to the main portion of the said expansion arms, and pins secured to the operating ring and engaging the expansion arms for actuating the outer end of each expansion arm.

2. An implement for applying expansible nipples to nursing bottles, comprising a base ring having an annular recess, an annular operating ring rotatably positioned in said annular recess, a handle secured to and extending outward from the base ring, a second handle secured to and extending outward from the operating ring and lying in close proximity to the handle on the base ring, a plurality of expansion arms spaced about the base ring, pivot pins fixed in the base ring intermediate the ends of the expansion arms for pivotally supporting each expansion arm, a prong at the inner extremity of each expansion arm extending upward from the main portion of the said expansion arms, and pins secured to the operating ring and engaging the expansion arms for actuating the outer end of each expansion arm.

MELVIN H. SIDEBOTHAM. 

